The Nets have an interesting way of showing how much they value and need Nic Claxton in their rotation.
how?
They keep him on the court.
Claxton is a vital size player for the Nets, who could struggle against a physically taller opponent, especially without Dayron Sharpe, Ben Simmons and Dorian Finney-Smith.
With those players absent, Claxton is averaging seven extra minutes, averaging 34.4 minutes in the last 12 games compared to 27.5 minutes in the remaining 25 games played this season.
He made effective use of the extra time during the same period and improved his performance over the previous 25 games, with a shooting success rate of 65% and an average of 14 points and 11.7 rebounds.
However, the return of Simmons after nearly three months out due to lumbar nerve compression has eased some of the burden on Claxton.
Thanks to the presence of the 6-foot-10 Simmons, the center was able to play less time (26:15).
The fluctuations haven’t bothered Claxton physically or mentally.
“It was a challenge, but a good challenge,” Claxton said after Friday’s practice. “That’s why I’ve made every effort in the offseason to trust my body and play as much as I need to play. I look forward to having our players back in the near future.” And it’s good to have Ben back too.
“You want to play a few minutes. I’m not complaining. I remember when I wasn’t even in the rotation. So now I’m being asked to play a few more minutes than normal. Like I said, that’s why we put the work in the offseason.”
Still, head coach Jack Vaughn wants to make calculated decisions about when and where Claxton gets that time.
Bourne said he plans to use Royce O’Neal to help Claxton against the 76ers, who will be without Joel Embiid due to a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee.
But he also hopes Simmons will be available after sustaining a bruised knee in Monday’s game against the Jazz.
“We’ve been pretty scientific in trying to get Nick into a position where he can play a lot of minutes once we get into the playoffs,” Vaughn said. “And we can’t live in that world, but to run a marathon you have to run 18, 19 miles. So, it’s kind of in that area. So we’ll take any opportunity to increase his playing time.
“A lot of that is some of the feedback we’ve gotten and how he feels. “I think the other day he played at 30. So there are some nights we have to push him to 38. “And hopefully there will be some nights where I can play at 26.”
And Bourne should use the fifth-year center, who will be an unrestricted free agent, as much as possible while Claxton remains on the roster ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline at 3 p.m.
The paper’s Brian Lewis reported that Claxton could be worth between $90 million and closer to $100 million as a free agent this summer.
As a result, NBA reporter Marc Stein reported that Claxton could be available between now and Thursday’s deadline.
“Honestly, it’s all out of my control. I want to be here,” Claxton said. “So, at the end of the day, I just have to be present, be on my feet and just be professional.”
